Generalized BMS charge algebra

Abstract

It has been argued that the symmetries of gravity at null infinity should include a Diff$(S^2)$ factor associated to diffeomorphisms on the celestial sphere. However, the standard phase space of gravity does not support the action of such transformations. Building on earlier work by Laddha and one of the authors, we present an extension of the phase space of gravity at null infinity on which Diff$(S^2)$ acts canonically. The Poisson brackets of supertranslation and Diff$(S^2)$ charges reproduce the generalized BMS algebra introduced in arXiv:1408.2228 .